BASEBALL: ROUNDUP; Mets Want Zito, but It Seems A's Want Him More

By JACK CURRY

Published: December 8, 2005

The Mets are one of several teams that have inquired about the marquee left-handed pitcher Barry Zito, but they should not be hopeful about snagging him because the Oakland Athletics have been telling teams they probably will not trade him.

David Forst, an assistant general manager of the A's, told Oakland reporters Wednesday that the team had not initiated any discussions about trading Zito. The 27-year-old Zito was 14-13 with a 3.86 earned run average last season, but he won the American League Cy Young award in 2002.

''We haven't sought out any teams,'' Forst said. ''Any inquiries have come from other clubs. It's been that way for two months.''

Omar Minaya, the Mets' general manager, was quoted by a television reporter as saying the A's had told him that Zito was unavailable. When newspaper reporters asked Minaya about Zito, he said he had not realized he was being quoted by the television reporter and declined to comment further.

Still, it was evident that the A's have indicated they planned to keep Zito, who will make $7.9 million in 2005 and can become a free agent after the season. The small-market A's would probably not be able to re-sign him at that point. The team traded Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder, two pitchers who were approaching free agency, last year.

Minaya disclosed that the Mets had not offered salary arbitration to Mike Piazza, the final formality in ending Piazza's eight-year tenure with the team. Piazza had 220 home runs and 665 runs batted in as a Met, and helped power them to the World Series in 2000, where they lost to the Yankees.

''Mike Piazza has been a great player, a great teammate, a great citizen,'' Minaya said. ''He's been a special player that will go down in history, without a doubt, as one of the greatest hitting catchers in baseball.''

The Mets also declined to offer arbitration to the relievers Braden Looper and Roberto Hernandez. Minaya said the team had negotiated with Hernandez's agents until late Wednesday night on a potential contract, so Hernandez -- like Piazza and Looper -- became a free agent.

Although Minaya has been trying to find a replacement for second baseman Kazuo Matsui and is interested in Mark Grudzielanek, he said, ''Matsui is going to be our second baseman.'' But Minaya is probably still trying to deal Matsui. If Minaya said Matsui was not the starter, it would lower his trade value.

Photo: Barry Zito is on the Mets' wish list, but the Oakland Athletics want to keep him for another year, after which he will become a free agent. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)